The collaboration seeks to combine Q-Free’s leadership in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and road user charging with Sony’s expertise in precision positioning technology, enabling scalable, high-accuracy solutions to support the evolution of Road User Charging (RUC) and fleet management.

The partnership sought to maintain user privacy as road usage calculations are performed directly within the on-board unit, meaning raw location data does not need to be continuously transmitted.

Reportedly, only billing-relevant information is shared, supporting privacy protection, regulatory compliance, and public trust.

GNSS-based charging is now expanding toward personal vehicle applications as Q-Free’s battery-powered architecture supports faster deployment while enabling value-added services including fleet management and insurance telematics.

CEO of Q-Free, Mark Talbot, said: "This collaboration represents an important step forward in the evolution of road user charging.

"By combining Sony’s industry-leading GNSS technology with Q-Free’s tolling expertise and battery-powered platform, we are enabling highly accurate, scalable solutions that help transportation authorities modernize infrastructure while maintaining public trust and operational efficiency.”